Virtual Villagers 4: The Tree of Life

The game is finally here. I spent three days (so far) on the game and below are some things I discovered. I will be updating this page often as I learn more. Please post a comment below for some tricks you discovered.See below the 'TIPS' and 'STRATEGIES' for the 'PUZZLES'.

Change the settings under 'OPTIONS' on the main menu to 'FAST' and 'FULL SCREEN'.

If you want time to go faster, quit the game and increase the time on your computer by 2 hours. Start the game again and 2 years have gone by. Don't jump more than 2 hours into the future at a time as your villagers may run out of food and starve. You can then buy technology or get a new project underway and jump 2 years into the future again and again and.... If you adjust the time on your computer past midnight be sure to increase the date by 1 as well. Otherwise you will accidentally jump into the past, which often has grave side effects for the villagers. You can push the space bar to pause the game before you reset the computer's time back to the correct time and that will save your villagers.

Click on a project to see what percent completed it is.

Puzzles are not solved in order.

Don't finish building the huts at the beginning of the game.

When you want a baby don't let them walk back to the hut. Keep an eye on the population count and keep trying until you see the population size increase.

Always use a child to heal anyone who is sick. That is the only skill a child can be taught and when they reach 14 years old they will heal the sick on their own even if you are not around.

Keep an eye out for mushrooms, especially at the beginning of the game. Only children can pick up the mushrooms and they may desperately be needed for food in the future.

Pause the game if you will not be playing again for a long time.

To get to a different part of the map quickly, push the number keys. You can also pick up a villager then press a number key to transport the villager to another part of the map.1 = bottom left, 2 = bottom middle, 3 = bottom right4 = middle left, 5 = middle middle, 6 = middle right7 = top left, 8 = top middle, 9 = top right

You can change the villagers' names under details.

When you hear the bells look for mushrooms or collectibles. I don't always find something at that time.

To quickly find a child, click the right arrow next to the detail circle when no villager is selected.

Drag both huts close to the wood pile before starting construction.

Drop a villager on the wood pile and one on the dry grass near the stairs. When they are done drop a villager on the fire pit to start the fire.

Don't put villagers on the blackberry bush for food. Instead drop them on the cutting tools in the lab (see Puzzle #1 below). This way they will get 30 points for food instead of just 5 points.

Keep a careful watch for mushrooms and collectibles especially at the beginning of the game. If you collect more than one of the same item then the child earns tech points.

Herbs: White herb near bridge, yellow above the lab, and orange near the top left of the map.

After boiling water (see Puzzle #3 below) drop villager on the table after three herbs have been collected. Then drop any villager, even children and nursing mothers, on the food bin to add food to the pot.

Click on the mausoleum floor to go inside. Click on villager's picture for info on that villager.

Low tide is every 2 hours.

Drop a child on another child and they will have some type of contest.

After earthen oven is complete, make the stew and drop villager on the fruit tree.

Requirements: Start fire. (see TIPS above)Action: Drop one or two villagers on the big fish bones on the beach. Each villager will make three cutting tools and put them in the lab. You need to do this each time you run out of cutting tools.Description: "Your villagers have discovered a method for the manufacture of cutting tools."

Requirements: Adept or Master BuilderAction: Start villager cleaning debris near upper waterfall to make the river flow. The debris will accumulate over time so this needs to be maintained. Once river is flowing, drop an adept or master builder on the keystone on the bottom right of the map and wait for him to fix the leak.Description: "Your villagers have restored the normal life-giving flow of the stream."

Requirements: NoneAction: Drop villager on bowls at the top of the stairs to add fresh water to the pot and on the bowls at the bottom of the waterfall for salt water and he will carry the bowl of water to the pot. Drop a villager on the small rock pile on the lower left of the bridge. Villager will carry the rock to the fire. When the rock is red hot then drop villager on the rock to boil the water in the pot.Description: "Your villagers figured out how to boil water. Good for them!"

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #7Action: Make a stew with 3 white herbs and salt water. Drop a villager on the pot once the stew is done.Description: "Your villagers have invented soap! Now they can wash behind their ears."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #2Action: Drop a villager on the healthy green stalks near the lower left of the stream. He will go get a cutting tool and return to the stalks. When he is covered in the green cloud slowly carry him to the tree. Make sure the butterflies are following. If you go too fast then the butterflies will return to the stalks. If that happens then just bring your villager back to the stalks and wait for the butterflies to follow.Description: "Your villagers have made the Tree of Life attractive to butterflies again."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #2Action: When it rains a puddle will form to the right of the stairs. Drop 10 villagers in the puddle and they will carry frogs up the stairs to the stream. You can make it rain by dropping a villager on the healthy stalks in the stream to the left. He will go get a cutting tool and return to the stalks. Once he is covered in sticky glue put him in the flute area to meditate. Keep everyone else away for a few minutes and it will rain. You have to keep an eye on the children because they like to disturb people when they are meditating.Description: "Your villagers have rescued some frogs. Good for them."

Requirements: Level 2 ConstructionAction: Clear out the rocks in the square pit on the bottom left of the map near the strange fruit trees. When the fire is burning, drop villager on the rock pile to carry rock to the fire. Once the villager reaches the fire drop another villager on the rock pile for another rock. When the rock is red hot drop the villager on the rock to carry it to the cooking pit. You need 4 rocks in the pit at the same time. You need to be fast because if too much time passes the rocks in the pit disappear. You may wish to go to "MENU" then "OPTIONS" and change speed to "SLOW" to finish this puzzle. Once 4 rocks are in the pit at the same time then drop a villager on the banana tree and wait for him to cover the oven. Then when you drop a villager on the strange fruit tree he will take the fruit to pit and will automatically wait until it cooks and carries it to the food bin.Description: "Your villagers have restored the fruit cooking pit to functional condition."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, Sewing hut, Fix piersAction: Drop one villager on the rock wall to the right of the wood pile and they will cut pulpy vines and place them on the stew table. Make the stew with salty water from the bowls to the lower right of the waterfall and boil the water. When stew is done drop villager on the pot and he will carry a bowl to the flat rocks on the beach. Then keep dropping villagers on the pulp on the rocks until finished.Description: "Your villagers have discovered a method for the manufacture of cloth."

Requirements: Level 3 learning.Action: Build the 4th hut and put an adept or master of 3 categories at the lecture mat to teach the children.Description: "Your villagers have built a nursery school. This will help them raise smarter children."

Requirements: I need to double checkAction: Drop 2 children on the beach crab to distract him. Then drop 5 adults on the crabs. They will carry the crabs to the mossy rocks. Once completed drop an adult on the mossy rocks for a story.Description: "A story seems to be carved in the rocks!"

Requirements: Puzzle #3, #7, #12Action: Make stew with one of each herb and fresh boiling water. Drop villagers on each, the blackberries, fruit tree, fishing pier, food bin, and a child on a mushroom. You can drop more than one villager on each food to make sure to get at least one of each into the pot. Have an extra hot rock ready if you have trouble finding the mushroom. If the pot stops boiling then you do not have to empty the water, just get the herbs and food again.Description: "The villagers have put together a marvelous feast!"

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #8, Adept builderAction: Drop 3 master builders, or one 3 times, on a pier. You may need to make more cloth (Puzzle #8) a few times if they are unsuccessful.Description: "Your villagers have repaired the fishing traps. Now they can add fish to their diet."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #4, #8Action: With extra cloth made, drop villager on sick tree limb. He will go get the cloth and return to bind the tree limb. Then drop him on the cutting tools and he will cut off the branch. Drop a villager on the soap. He will carry the soap to the damaged tree limb.Description: "Your villagers have successfully treated the damaged limb."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #4, #7, #8, #13, Level 3 DendrologyAction: Make a stew with 3 yellow herbs and fresh water. Drop all villagers, even children and nursing mothers, on the pot. They will carry a plate to the tree.Description: "Your villagers have honored the tree."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #4, #7 #8, #13, #14, Burning fire.Action: Go to "OPTIONS" and change the speed to "SLOW". Start a fire and make soap if you don't have any left. Drop an adept or master of 3 categories in the school to teach the children. Then drop another villager in the hole in the tree then on the bar of soap. He will carry the soap to the bath, then drop him in the bath and wait for him to get out of the water. Move everyone away from under the tree and drop the villager back on the hole in the tree. You should drop the teacher in the school a couple times to keep the children occupied. Then drop the villager in the flute area to meditate. When he stands up drop him back on the hole in the tree. He will go inside the tree and carry a bug to the fire. Then you can see the history of the tree.Description: "Purify Tree! The tree has been purified."

Requirements: Puzzle #1, #3, #8, (possibly #13), Extra clothAction: Drop a villager on a box of braids in the lab and they will carry it to the flat rock on the beach. Drop a villager on the braid and he will go get the cloth and return to fix the braid. Follow the hummingbird to show you witch flower is in bloom and wait there until the hummingbird leaves. Drop at least 7 villagers, even children, on the flower and the last villager will carry the lei to the tree. This needs to be done 3 times and the flower in bloom will change each time. Once the third lei gets to the tree you can see the story of the tree.Description: "Your villagers have successfully decorated the tree."